The advice was made by Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BIUST) teaching instructor Samuel Kewagamang who was among the speakers at a ceremony where OLDM awarded excelling learners in the Boteti region on Wednesday.
The main purpose of the awards which are known as the Diamond Dreams Academic Awards is to encourage and celebrate high academic performance amongst government run primary, junior, and senior secondary schools in the Boteti district.
“From the general manager's address the cost-benefit analysis was not articulated. I therefore challenge Debswana to reflect and do a trace study to assess the efficiency of its CSI initiatives meant to encourage academic excellence. There should be a thorough assessments as to whether the investment that has been made since 2019 has yielded any tangible results,” Kewagamang said.
He pointed out that if OLDM is not happy with the outcome of its investment in education in Boteti, BIUST will be willing to assist with remedial measures to ensure that excellence is attained . “Where you think you do not have capacity (to ensure efficiency of investment on education), we do have as a strategic partner,” said Kewagamang who emphasised that it is vital for the learners to be nurtured until they finish their study so that they can be of great benefit to the nation.
The excellence awards started in 2019 with a sponsorship of half a million Pula each sponsorship per year. The awards have however not been held since 2020 as result of the covid-19 pandemic. Because of the pandemic OLDM decided to refocus the CSI funds to aid the ailing education sector by engaging a private tutoring company (Bright Meadows) to tutor Letlhakane Senior Secondary School class of 2020. The total expenditure for tutoring facilities was in region of (P500 000). During the pandemic, more than P1,2 million was also spent by OLDM in providing resources to schools.
